By Mohamed Vandi
Former leader of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party says the three-day lockdown will worsen - not improve - the fight against Ebola.
John Oponjo Benjamin said “the consequences of such an action will be starvation, chronic malaria and other related problems” he said, and asked thus: “When people are confined for three days who will feed them, provide medicine when they are sick with other diseases, and fetch them water?”
He said his concern was about the welfare of the people, arguing that even the days selected by government for the lockdown were not appropriate because people would have been prevented from going for their Friday and Sunday prayers.
Benjamin said restricting the movement of people in the manner of the lockdown would increase more body contact.
He said he would support government in the fight against the disease but that he was very mindful of the consequences involved in taking such a decision.
“People have suffered for quite too long and have gone without their occupation, including farming. To keep them indoors for three days will not be in their favour,” he said, and suggested that a better solution to the problem was to spend money meant for that purpose on improving the Ebola centres so patients would come out alive.
Presidential adviser and member of the taskforce on Ebola, Ibrahim Ben Kargbo would not give exact amount of how much would be expended on the whole exercise but assured that “it will not be as exorbitant as Oponjo Benjamin might want to present it”.
Kargbo said "a temporary measure of that nature will not do any harm to the people. Besides the decision was taken at the presidential taskforce level that comprises representatives of UN agencies, diplomats, civil society, the media and all political parties and they are all at liberty to come up with suggestions,” he said.
He said government was building more treatment centres across the country not just because of the situation at hand but also for future use.
(C) Politico, 11/09/14
